Before It's Too Late
by Lovelace Neko
Summary: [Aeriseph and TsengxElena] AU. What if Aeris and Elena had grown up together in the slums, and had been friends? -PREVIEW-


**Before It's Too Late**  
by Lovelace Neko

Gotta take the ideas as they come, you know. This was an idea from a Saturday night. I wasn't originally going to anything with it, but I spent all of church the next day mapping it out. Heh, I never pay attention in church; I use it as fanfic planning time.

Alrighty, the pairings are going to be mainly Aeriseph and TsengxElena. Those happen to be my two favorites at the moment, so live with it. And we're just going to say that Elena grew up in the slums of Midgar, okay?

And don't forget, this is just a preview of the fic. Depending on what people think of it, I may or may not write more.

Disclaimer: Do I even need this anymore? I'm hoping everyone reading this is intelligent enough to figure out that I don't own anything, or I swear I'm going to hurt you. Painfully.

* * *

Elena and Aeris sat on a bench in Aeris' garden. Aeris was having a hard time accepting Sephiroth's death. Aeris was Elena's best friend, and she was trying as hard as she could to comfort her, but she just didn't know what to say.

"You know what, Elena?" Aeris asked.

"What?"

"I feel like an idiot."

"Why?"

"Yeah, we were going out and all, I know, but I loved him, and I never told him. Damn it..." Aeris trailed off. Her swearing gained her a look of surprise from Elena, who had never heard Aeris say anything worse than 'heck'.

"Trust me, Elena, you should always tell people your exact feelings about them, before it's too late."

"Oh, I don't know about that. What if you hated them, but you needed them to like you so that you could get a pay raise?" Elena asked, purposely trying to make Aeris feel better. She succeeded. Aeris began giggling.

"Or what if your friend was dying, but in all actuality they annoyed the hell out of you and you didn't consider them your friend?" Aeris continued to giggle.

"How about if you liked someone, but they threatened death to anyone who even so much as came near them?"

Aeris couldn't help it. It wasn't even all that funny, but she wanted to laugh so badly after all her crying, that she burst out laughing. Elmyra looked out the window, wondering what had happened. Her daughter had been so sad only minutes before...

"Thanks, Elena. That helped," Aeris managed to say once her laughter subsided.

"Anytime."

* * *

Four and a half years later, the two friends were once again sitting on the same bench.

"I'm so proud for you, Elena!" Aeris squeeled. Elena had just recently been promoted to Turk level, making her the first ever female Turk. Of course, Aeris decided that they had to celebrate together.

"It's not really that big of a deal..." Elena said modestly. Aeris gave her a look. "Okay, yes it is. I agree; let's celebrate."

After Aeris called out a goodbye to her mother, they started to walk to Wall Market. "Did you see Tseng today?" Aeris asked.

Elena tried to hide the blush covering her face. "Yes," she mumbled. "In fact, he's my boss."

"Oh, that's great!"

A little over a year ago, Elena had begun her extensive training to become a Turk. She remembered the day she met Tseng, especially Aeris' reaction.

_"Aeris! You won't believe this! During training today, I met another Turk! He's so handsome; I wish you could have seen him. No, wait, scratch that, I saw him first!" Elena was rambling excitedly to her friend._

_"Seriously? That's great! What's his name?" Aeris asked, immediately interested. She had never seen Elena excited over a guy before._

_"Tseng!" At this, Aeris' face visibly fell. "Aeris? What's wrong?"_

_"Oh, nothing..."_

_"Yes, something is wrong."_

_"Well, Tseng's been trying to catch me for years. Hojo wants me for an experiment, that horrid man," Aeris explained._

_"Why would he want you, oh wait. Cetra. I knew that," Elena said sheepishly._

_"It's okay, Elena. Besides, Tseng is quite nice. Even when he had the chance to get me, he always let me escape, with the reasoning that it 'wasn't right'."_

Elena grinned. She hadn't expected Tseng to one day be her boss. Nor had she expected that she would be telling Aeris about it. ShinRa was still after Aeris, poor girl. Technically, Elena should have turned Aeris over as soon as she had begun working for ShinRa. But friendship was more important than a job. The two had grown up together. You just didn't turn your friend in.

"When do you leave for your first mission?" Aeris asked.

"What? Oh, I don't know. I haven't been assigned to anything yet," Elena told her, still slightly distracted.

"Will you be staying in Midgar?"

"Hm, don't know. We're sent wherever we're needed."

"Well, if you do get out of here, get me something, would you?"

"Of course! ...if I have time. Which I hope I will have," Elena told her.

"Elena, remember what I said a couple years back?" Aeris asked suddenly.

"Um...no, not really."

"Tell people your feelings about them before it's too late."

"Oh, come on now, I can't possibly tell Tseng..." Elena said, looking at Aeris like she had lost it.

"Take your chance while you have it. There will be a calamity, taking loved ones away," Aeris said in reply.

"Still, he's my boss. I can't just go up to and tell him that sort of thing."

"Alright. But think about it, okay?"

"Sure, Aeris," Elena replied, knowing full well that she would never be able to tell Tseng her feelings, and not intending to even hint at it, either.

* * *

And there's the first half of chapter one. Review, please? 


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